Students and teachers at a specialist school were delighted to welcome a VIP visitor to their new building.

Arc School Old Arley (previously known as Arc School Church End) has recently moved into a new school building to help improve the facilities available for students. Local MP Marcus Jones, who represents the constituency of Nuneaton, Arley and Hartshill, visited the school’s new home and helped mark the occasion by officially “opening” Arc School Old Arley and performing a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Students and staff moved into the new site in November, moving from a building just a couple of miles down the road. This new building offers vastly increased space and enhanced facilities for the young people at the school.

Head teacher Wendy Sanders, said: “Old Arley is just a few minutes from where we were before at Arc School Church End but this lovely new building lets us offer so much more for young people. There’s a much extended footprint for the school, both inside and out, which means we can offer more space for key subjects, specific learning areas and masses of outdoor space too.

“It’s been a busy, but hugely enjoying time. We’re getting settled in and are enjoying welcoming visitors such as Marcus to see our lovely new school and all it offers for themselves.”

This new school building has dedicated learning zones, inside and out, for ICT, Food Technology, Science, English, Art, Maths and Music as well as a dance and drama studio. There is an indoor gym, PSD classroom and therapeutic areas both inside and out too. Outdoors there are six acres of space and will have bespoke five-a-side football pitches, Forest Schools areas and therapeutic courtyard.

Wendy added: “This is an exciting development for us. The extended facilities can only benefit students and give us so much more flexibility for their learning.”

Arc School Old Arley is part of the Kedleston group of schools and offers day school placements for young people aged from 10-16 who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties and for whom mainstream schools are not able to meet their needs.

The school has a particular focus on bespoke curriculums, including learning outside the classroom, to provide solutions for young people’s own individual learning needs and to maximise their chances of success.

Marcus said: “It has been a real pleasure to visit the school and speak with students and staff about the difference this new building has made to their day-to-day lives. It is such an important facility for the local community and I’m delighted to have been part of the official opening and welcoming the school to its new home.”